In their 4th day of talks, PA, Israeli officials say plans for a mtg. btwn. Arafat, Netanyahu are hung up over the wording of a statement pledging support for the Oslo accords. Late in the evening, a "vague" statement is concluded and signed by UN Coordinator Larsen, laying out a framework for continuing negotiations. (MM 9/3; ITV 9/3 in WNC 9/5; CSM, WT 9/4; CSM, WP, WT 9/5; MEI 9/6; PR 9/13; JP 9/14) (see 9/2)
U.S. carries out early morning strike on 14 Iraqi air defense sites in s. Iraq, firing 27 cruise missiles, killing 5 Iraqis, wounding 19; extends s. no-fly zone fr. the 32d parallel to the 33d. Later in the evening, the U.S. fires 17 cruise missiles at same targets in "mop-up" operation. Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey refuse to let U.S. use their bases as staging area for the raids. Arab League, Arab MKs, China, France, PA, PLO, Russia, Syria also criticize strikes. Non-Arab MKs, Germany, Japan, UK call strikes justified. (MM 9/3; IDF Radio, JT, RE 9/3 in WNC 9/4; JTV, RE, RJ, TDN 9/3, al-Dustur, JT 9/4 in WNC 9/5; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/4; al-Nahar, al-Quds 9/4, JT 9/5 in WNC 9/6; MEI 9/6, 9/20) (see 9/2)